Wireless communication systems, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN), and the like, are becoming increasingly prevalent in homes, businesses, and public facilities. Certain WLANs may conform to the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b standard, IEEE std. 802.11b-1999 (published Sep. 16, 1999) (also known as “WiFi”), IEEE std. 802.11a-1999 (published Sep. 16, 1999), and IEEE std. 802.11g (published April 2003).
While 802.11a transmissions can achieve raw data rates of up to 54 Megabits per second (Mbps) for short distances, such devices have a range of only about 100 meters, and transmit using orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) carriers (i.e., a multi-carrier system). These transmissions occur at a frequency of around 5 Gigahertz (GHz); more technically, the 5 GHz “band” includes several bands extending from approximately 4.9 GHz to 5.9 GHz, where many independent channels are available In contrast, 802.11b/g devices can transmit data with a range of about 300 meters (using a 80 Megahertz (MHz) frequency band located at approximately 2.4 GHz); however, only 3 independent channels are available. A need thus exists to extend the range of WLANs operating at higher frequencies (i.e., the 5 GHz band), where many independent channels are available.